Ramadan draws focus on more workplace support for Muslim employees
Global News
Although Islam was Canada's second most practised religion in 2021, many who practice the faith find they still face challenges in the workplace.
Khadija Waseem loves tea and coffee, so when she told colleagues she was savouring her last cup ahead of the start of Ramadan’s fasting period last week, they were quick to tease her.
“Everybody was joking, ‘Please, you’ve been drinking this in every meeting and we’ve had back-to-back meetings,”’ said the Toronto-based strategy consultant at Monitor Deloitte.
But the moment turned “very magical” when a colleague, who Waseem said “did not fit the identity of what we think Muslims look like,” excitedly shared that they were marking Ramadan too and had given up coffee more than a week ago.
The encounter was a reminder of the camaraderie that can develop in an inclusive office, but Waseem and others know that feeling and the supportive atmosphere enabling such conversations is still lacking in many workplaces.
Although Islam was Canada’s second most practised religion in 2021 with 1.8 million Muslims in the country, many who practice the faith find they still face challenges in the workplace.
For some, there’s a lack of accommodation, support and mindfulness during Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar, when those fasting do not eat or drink anything between dawn and sunset.
Others face difficulties when stepping away for prayers five times a day, a cornerstone of the religion.
“Islamophobia, anti-Islamism and just sort of anti-Muslim sentiments generally just seem to be somewhat left out of the broader diversity, equity (and) inclusion conversation within many workplaces,” said Sarah Saska, co-founder and chief executive of consultancy Feminuity.